Pencil box



June 8 1926. 1,588,351

H. GRQSSNICKLE PENCIL BOX Filed Nov. 2'7, 1925 840mm H3. Gr ossnickl e.

Patented June 8, 1926.

* UNITED STATES BATE HENRY B. GRQSSNICKLE or NORTH'MANCHESTER,1INDIA-NA, nssrsnonoir ONE-HALF TOSAMUEL A. NOFTZGEVR, or NORTH MANCHESTER, INDIANA.

PENCIL BOX.

Application filed November 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,861. I

This invention relates to containers, and particularly to containers for holding articles such as pencils and like writing implements.

It is an object of the invention to provide acontainer of this character adapted to be concealed within a suppor't such as adesk, table, chair, or like article of furniture, and wherein the cover of the container serves as a portion of the table top, desk top, or arm of the chair. I v s It is another object. of the invention to provide a container of this character including means for locking the cover'or lid to the container.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container of this character adapted to be disposed within a support, and wherein the support is provided with a passage for the reception of means adapted to release the locking means of the lid of the container.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container of this character including a lid which is hinged to the container and provided with locking means, and wherein means are dispose-d within the support and capable of being positioned a considerable distance from the locking means within convenient reach of the user, to release the lid when necessary in order to per- I mit access to the container.

Wlth these and other ob ects in view the invention consists in the improved construe-e tion and arrangement of parts to be hereinaiter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, showing the cover in its open position; I

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the structure shown in Figure l, and show ing the cover of the container locked;

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the position of the parts after the cover is released; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the latch member.

Referringto the drawings, 5 designates a support which may be a desk top, a table to be disposed at any point in the support 5, for instance, it the support is a desk top,

the opening maybe position-ed adjacent the front of the desk, near the ink well in the top. The upper edge of the openingt is beveled inwardly to provide a support 7.

' The opening 6 is adapted to receive a container 8 which may be made as deep as de sired, according to the number and kind of articles to be deposited therein. The up per edges of the container are extended outwardly, as at 9, to substantially provide flanges adapted to engage the support 7 formed by the beveled edges of the opening 6. By this means the container isv prevented from passingthrough the opening,

and at the same time, the edges of the container are disposed flush with the top of the support. A cover or lid 10 is provided for the container, said lid having its edges beveled inwardly to conform to the beveled portionsof the flanges 9 of the container. The edges of the upper portion of the lid are adapted to lie flush with the top of the support. The lid is connected to the container by means of hinges 11, one hinge being disposed adjacent each-end of the lid.

A compartment 12 is provided for the reception of a spring-12 said compartment being formed through the cooperation of a recess provided in the beveled edge of the rear wall of the'container and the adjacent beveled edge of the opening, the end 13 of said spring being secured to the. inner surface of one wall of the container, while the end 14: is secured to the lower surface of the lid 10. The spring is intended to normally urge the lid to its open position to permit ready access to the container.

. In order to lock the lid, there is provided a novel locking mechanism consisting of a length of resilient material 15 which is secured at its end 16 to the intermediate portion of the cover and adjacent the edge of the cover. The length is then extended downwardly, as at 17, and upwardly, as at 18, the portion 18 beingrdisposed substantially parallel to the front wall of the con tainer. A protuberance or boss 19 is formed inthe portion 18, and is adapted to extend into an opening20 provided in the front wall of the container. Itwill be noted that the portion 17 is substantially inclined downwardly and is also disposed in spaced relation to the :front wall of the container so that the resilient force of the length is not inter fered with and the portion 18 is thereby urged into engagement with the edge of the opening 20 to hold the lid locked. The support -5 is provided with a passage 21 which extends from one edge of-the support to the front wall of the container, the inner end 22 of the passage being adapted to register with the opening 20 of the container. The outer end 23 of the passage is enlarged to provide a chamber 24: of a size sufficient to receive the fingers of a person. The passage 21 may be of any length desired, that is, according to the distance from the edge of the support to the front wall of the container. Slidable F in the passage 21 is a rod 25 having its end 25 rounded for engagement with the boss or protuberance 19. Theopposite end of the rod is provided with an operating knob 26 and a washer 27, an expansion spring 28 being disposed between the knob and the washer. Theavasher is intended to engage theouter end of the passage 21, that is, where the passage merges with the enlarged portion 23, so as to serve as a support for one end of the spring 28, the opposite end of the sp ing engaging the inner face of the knob, so as to normally hold the rod disengaged-from the boss 19. p

In the operation of the device, the cover is swung toward the container and in View of the resiliency of the length 15, the spring latch or looking member, formed by said length, is moved into the container to permit the boss 19 to lockthe lid. In Order to release the lid, the rod 25 is urged inwardly by pressure upon the operating .rod 26 against tension of the spring 28, thereby causing the rounded end 25 to engage the protuberance or boss 19 and disengage the same from the opening 20 by forcing the portion 18 inwardly of the container. .The latch is thereby released, whereupon the spring 12 operates to raise the lid a sufficient distance to permit ready access to the container.

By this novel mechanism, a container of be instantly released without requiring the operator to reach over the table top in order to release the fastening means or latch.

hat is claimed is I 1. A container of the character described embodying a support, said support having an opening, a container disposed within the opening, the front wall of said container having an opening, said support having a passage adapted to register with the opening.

of the container, a lid hinged to the container, a spring latch member carried by the lid, said latch having a boss adapted to extend through the opening of the wall of the container and a spring pressed rod slidable in the passage of the support, and adapted to be urged into engagement with the boss to move inwardly of the container.

2. A container of the character described embodying a su aport having an opening for the reception 0 a container, and a passage extending through one wall of theopening and adapted to register with an opening provided in the wall of the container, a spring pressed lid movably connected'to the container, a spring latch member carried by the lid, said latch member having a boss adapted to extend through the opening in the wall of the container, a rod slidable in the passage of the support, the outer end of said passage being enlarged to provide a finger chamber, and a spring carried by the outer end of the rod for normally urging the rod away from the container.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifur my signature.

HENRY I enossNroKLn. 

